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Squirm: The Novelization
SQUIRM is the blood-curdling shocker calculated to make you writhe with horror. A sleepy Southern town doesn't know what's hit it when a freak nightmare of a storm brings down the overhead electric power lines which then direct a massive electrical charge into the wet mud. And that's just the beginning. For the slimy, oozing, crawling horror which results—an angry, rampaging mass of carnivorous superworms—is the most terrifying threat ever to be unleashed on (or under) the surface of the planet...
- GenresHorror
175 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1976
101 people want to read
About the author
Richard Curtis
152 books79 followersRichard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE
Graduate of Harrow School and subsequently Christ Church, University of Oxford. Academy Award nominee and recipient of Emmy and BAFTA awards for screenwriting. He is also a director and producer. In 2007, he became a Fellow of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
Graduate of Harrow School and subsequently Christ Church, University of Oxford. Academy Award nominee and recipient of Emmy and BAFTA awards for screenwriting. He is also a director and producer. In 2007, he became a Fellow of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 5, 2021
Roger Grimes' father has a disturbing fascination with worms, performing all kinds of odd experiments on them during his long hours of nightly research. After one of his experiments goes wrong, Roger is traumatized after being attacked by one of the worms burrowing into his skin and being cut out with a sharp object on the spot. Some years later, an electrical line falls into the field where Roger's father keeps all his worms, and the electric causes them to mutate and go mad. They crawl out from the soil of the rural town of Fly Creek, a savage legion of 100'000 bloodworms and sandworms escape from the farm and unleash gory terror upon its inhabitants.
A fun and simple creature feature about man-eating worms. It's very similar to The Rats by James Herbert and Slugs by Shaun Hutson, though I feel like the monsters and characters weren't quite as well developed or gruesome as either of these. Though the worms are the main source of horror in the novel, I thought they weren't around quite as much as they should've been. In The Rats, the horrifying presence of the little creatures were there from beginning to end. Here, their attacks happen and end rather anticlimactically. It's also harder to care about what happens here because most of the side characters were throwaways.
That said, the true horror here is the mentally broken Roger's unhealthy fixation on a girl in his town whom he stalks and obsesses over in much the same fashion as his father once did with his worms. I felt a bit bad for Roger, but his behavior and thought process in the later parts of the book were pretty disturbing. I thought his story was more scary and interesting than the actual worms.
***
If you're looking for some dark ambient music for reading horror, dark fantasy and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
A fun and simple creature feature about man-eating worms. It's very similar to The Rats by James Herbert and Slugs by Shaun Hutson, though I feel like the monsters and characters weren't quite as well developed or gruesome as either of these. Though the worms are the main source of horror in the novel, I thought they weren't around quite as much as they should've been. In The Rats, the horrifying presence of the little creatures were there from beginning to end. Here, their attacks happen and end rather anticlimactically. It's also harder to care about what happens here because most of the side characters were throwaways.
That said, the true horror here is the mentally broken Roger's unhealthy fixation on a girl in his town whom he stalks and obsesses over in much the same fashion as his father once did with his worms. I felt a bit bad for Roger, but his behavior and thought process in the later parts of the book were pretty disturbing. I thought his story was more scary and interesting than the actual worms.
***
If you're looking for some dark ambient music for reading horror, dark fantasy and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
May 9, 2015
Hmm, not a bad book, despite the many spelling mistakes, Geri became Beri briefly haha but I just wasn't 'up there' with the other great animal horror books such as Jaws, The Rats etc. Not enough death and destruction, slight attempt at explaining why the worms are acting the way they are and the conclusion was ambiguous, which I usually don't mind but seeing as pretty much all the worms are alive, will they come out again at night time and so on...
August 20, 2021
Electrified worms attack a small southern town. The book is just like watching the movie. Not much is different except the prologue. Would of liked more worm action but it's still good for a quick read.
February 26, 2020
***One of my favorite 2020 reads***
I loved reading this book as much as I love watching the movie.
July 9, 2015
Well it certainly was a book.
July 6, 2024
A Horror Bookworm Recommendation
Squirm by Richard Curtis
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
In the sweltering heat of Georgia there is a small town known as Fly Creek. Within their borders lies Willie Grimes’ Bait Farm, where live worms are sold. A freak storm of torrential downpour causes roads to be flooded, power lines knocked down and the disappearance of several town-folk. What happens when the town of Fly Creek is invaded by man-eating worms with no way out? This was the night of the crawling terror.
Author Richard Curtis has brilliantly written a novelization based on the classic 1976 horror film, Squirm. Sporting needle-like fangs and strength in numbers, these slimy flesh seeking worms are twisting and writhing your way. Who would have thunk that skin burrowing creatures in a bait-box could do so much damage.
Confronting nature eyeball-to-eyeball apparently seems to be one of Richard Curtis’ many strengths. Plenty of disturbing moments are to be had as these angry aggressive specimens help unearth one of the best killer-animal horror books you will ever read. Not kidding, I loved the sights and sounds of backwoods crickets and toads within this creepy crawly novel. Crimson blood and non-stop gore from the soil. (now there is a great blurb!)
Keep in mind when turning those shower hot and cold knobs to their full open positions, terror comes from where you least expect it. This is one author that knows how to get under your flesh. Kudos goes to Richard Curtis and Encyclopocalypse Publishing for helping create a genuinely terrifying book. A well-deserved five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Horror Bookworm Recommendation.
Squirm by Richard Curtis
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
In the sweltering heat of Georgia there is a small town known as Fly Creek. Within their borders lies Willie Grimes’ Bait Farm, where live worms are sold. A freak storm of torrential downpour causes roads to be flooded, power lines knocked down and the disappearance of several town-folk. What happens when the town of Fly Creek is invaded by man-eating worms with no way out? This was the night of the crawling terror.
Author Richard Curtis has brilliantly written a novelization based on the classic 1976 horror film, Squirm. Sporting needle-like fangs and strength in numbers, these slimy flesh seeking worms are twisting and writhing your way. Who would have thunk that skin burrowing creatures in a bait-box could do so much damage.
Confronting nature eyeball-to-eyeball apparently seems to be one of Richard Curtis’ many strengths. Plenty of disturbing moments are to be had as these angry aggressive specimens help unearth one of the best killer-animal horror books you will ever read. Not kidding, I loved the sights and sounds of backwoods crickets and toads within this creepy crawly novel. Crimson blood and non-stop gore from the soil. (now there is a great blurb!)
Keep in mind when turning those shower hot and cold knobs to their full open positions, terror comes from where you least expect it. This is one author that knows how to get under your flesh. Kudos goes to Richard Curtis and Encyclopocalypse Publishing for helping create a genuinely terrifying book. A well-deserved five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Horror Bookworm Recommendation.
May 2, 2022
I mean this was complete nonsense but I liked it a hell of a lot
October 25, 2016
Now there's a funny story how about how this book came into my collection. I mean, I doubt you'll laugh. But you know, it's funny in that 'well, it's a bit different to buying off amazon' way. So I was in my local second hand book store and as per usual, decisiveness hadn't taken hold of me. And nor likely was it to. I knew I wanted to buy something because I'm not the kinda guy who walks out of a bookstore empty handed. However, I hadn't even narrowed down my options and could sense my girlfriend was getting impatient. So I said to her "please choose a book for me so we can actually leave!". And here I am reviewing Squirm. A book about fanged killer worms.
I am going to bring up that old cliche which probably crops up in hundreds, if not thousands, of reviews across Goodreads.... yep, "don't judge a book by its cover". But you are on fairly safe ground judging Squirm by its illustration featuring a man's face twisted in schlock horror as a variety of blood thirsty worms cling onto him. It's camp, it's silly, it has lots worms. But what I guess did take me by surprise is that it's actually pretty well written.
Yes, it's neither brain fuel nor devoid of errors (both plot and grammatical) but it knows what it is and does a pretty solid job of keeping the reader riveted. The characters have enough substance to make you care and the book ends before your patience does. I think this is probably the first review I have done where I haven't actually given a plot synopsis but let's be honest, your decision whether this is something you would want to read rests on the three simple words: blood thirsty worms.
I am going to bring up that old cliche which probably crops up in hundreds, if not thousands, of reviews across Goodreads.... yep, "don't judge a book by its cover". But you are on fairly safe ground judging Squirm by its illustration featuring a man's face twisted in schlock horror as a variety of blood thirsty worms cling onto him. It's camp, it's silly, it has lots worms. But what I guess did take me by surprise is that it's actually pretty well written.
Yes, it's neither brain fuel nor devoid of errors (both plot and grammatical) but it knows what it is and does a pretty solid job of keeping the reader riveted. The characters have enough substance to make you care and the book ends before your patience does. I think this is probably the first review I have done where I haven't actually given a plot synopsis but let's be honest, your decision whether this is something you would want to read rests on the three simple words: blood thirsty worms.
September 10, 2021
This was the night of the crawling terror! It’s ravening, gut-chilling worm-power - in the all-time horror classic!
I have to start by saying I’ve never seen the film in full but from the clips - and the trailers floating about online - it appears fairly faithful. Deep in Georgia, a worm-farmer has figured out that if he electrifies the little blighters, they become ravenous (and attack anything in their way). Years later, a storm brings down an electricity pylon but the power company doesn’t switch it off (hey, it’s 1978) and so millions of worms are then charged up and very, very hungry. They attack the brilliantly named town of Fly Creek and all hell breaks lose, the sheer mass of them shoo-ing away any concerns readers might have about fully grown adults out-running some worms. This is the kind of book I love, the horror cheese you sometimes need to off-set more serious works and it does its job perfectly. The characters are drawn enough for you to bother about them, the expendable characters are cleverly hissable, there’s a lovely sense of 70s paranoia cinema to it all and there are some good gore scenes. I enjoyed it a lot but this is really my kind of thing, so I would very much recommend it but, obviously, your mileage might vary.
I have to start by saying I’ve never seen the film in full but from the clips - and the trailers floating about online - it appears fairly faithful. Deep in Georgia, a worm-farmer has figured out that if he electrifies the little blighters, they become ravenous (and attack anything in their way). Years later, a storm brings down an electricity pylon but the power company doesn’t switch it off (hey, it’s 1978) and so millions of worms are then charged up and very, very hungry. They attack the brilliantly named town of Fly Creek and all hell breaks lose, the sheer mass of them shoo-ing away any concerns readers might have about fully grown adults out-running some worms. This is the kind of book I love, the horror cheese you sometimes need to off-set more serious works and it does its job perfectly. The characters are drawn enough for you to bother about them, the expendable characters are cleverly hissable, there’s a lovely sense of 70s paranoia cinema to it all and there are some good gore scenes. I enjoyed it a lot but this is really my kind of thing, so I would very much recommend it but, obviously, your mileage might vary.
July 23, 2020
A melodramatic and hokey story which is filled with lots of blood and gore and WORMS. I wonder how many times the author writes the word worms. My guess is a lot.
The pacing is way off. The first half of the book after the prologue is pretty boring and the writing is not brilliant. Most of the characters are extremely unlikeable. Especially the way Mick screams at a poor woman for finding a worm in his... egg cream? What the hell even is that? You're an adult, what are you doing ordering a chocolate soda!
If you've come to read this book hoping it's a nice little short bedtime tale filled with lots of people getting eaten by worms (which I assume you have), the second half will not disappoint. However don't expect to find subtlety, good dialogue, a story which makes much sense or well written characters with interesting motivations that go beyond them wanting to have sex.
Having said all that, I do love mindless gory horror novels from an era long gone. And this delivers on those promises. With a name like Squirm what did you expect?
The pacing is way off. The first half of the book after the prologue is pretty boring and the writing is not brilliant. Most of the characters are extremely unlikeable. Especially the way Mick screams at a poor woman for finding a worm in his... egg cream? What the hell even is that? You're an adult, what are you doing ordering a chocolate soda!
If you've come to read this book hoping it's a nice little short bedtime tale filled with lots of people getting eaten by worms (which I assume you have), the second half will not disappoint. However don't expect to find subtlety, good dialogue, a story which makes much sense or well written characters with interesting motivations that go beyond them wanting to have sex.
Having said all that, I do love mindless gory horror novels from an era long gone. And this delivers on those promises. With a name like Squirm what did you expect?
June 20, 2019
It's somehow worse than the movie. How is that even possible? Some of my favorite bits:
There was an old Led Zeppelin song on, to which Alma mouthed the lyrics and plunged back into her article on the joys of white slavery. - p31
Roger was harmless like some big stray dog whose pedigree and training you don't know. You could keep him for ten years and in the eleventh...well, who knows? p32
Geri's eyes widened in a gape as she looked at the skull. An eery look came over her and she rushed away. p98
Mick's eyes shut tightly and a wince escaped his lips involuntarily. p103
There was an old Led Zeppelin song on, to which Alma mouthed the lyrics and plunged back into her article on the joys of white slavery. - p31
Roger was harmless like some big stray dog whose pedigree and training you don't know. You could keep him for ten years and in the eleventh...well, who knows? p32
Geri's eyes widened in a gape as she looked at the skull. An eery look came over her and she rushed away. p98
Mick's eyes shut tightly and a wince escaped his lips involuntarily. p103
December 18, 2020
Downed powerlines surge electric currents in the soil causing worms to come to the surface and go on a human flesh rampage. Worms coming through the shower head like meat through a sausage grinder. A man will go on his own rampage with worms SQUIRMING into his eyes, jaw, part of his brain. Ridiculously silly, now want to see the movie
October 22, 2020
3.5 stars
September 25, 2025
The movie was great and the prologue fills in some of the missing parts of the movie. I’ve always been a fan of B movies and creature feature styles which is added to by the terror being worms. The story basically happens around Geri and Mick as they try to survive a fear they never thought possible. I will check other Encyclopocalypse titles as they bring back the joy of movies that have become hard to find.
Now the negative, the story was great and fun but the book was filled with typos and spelling mistakes that had a habit of breaking the feel of the story. But that aside it’s worth the read.0
Now the negative, the story was great and fun but the book was filled with typos and spelling mistakes that had a habit of breaking the feel of the story. But that aside it’s worth the read.0
December 28, 2023
I don’t remember this film but although a quick easy read there wasn’t as much blood and gore as you would expect from a book about rampaging flesh eating worms
August 28, 2025
The best novel ever written about killer worms.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews